


The Sweetest Drug

by eclecticat



Category: VIXX
Genre: Fluff, Humor, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Phone Sex, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-16
Updated: 2015-12-16
Packaged: 2018-05-07 02:20:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5439830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eclecticat/pseuds/eclecticat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Taekwoon's neighbour lives a double life and he doesn't really know how to react to it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Sweetest Drug

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a recipient in forvixx.  
> Actually had so much fun writing this because 1.) neo 2.) Taekwoon's priorities are A+

“You sure about this?”  
  
The reluctance clings on Jung Taekwoon’s voice as he questions his cousin’s decision to let him live in his apartment temporarily. After spending three years in Jaehwan's company head office in Gangnam, Jaehwan's going to be assigned in Tokyo to take care of their recent joint venture with a huge fashion icon there for a couple of months. Jaehwan merely scrunches his eyebrows at Taekwoon before he types in his house code to let both of them in.  
  
"Why not? Who else will I allow to live in my apartment other than you, my dear cousin?"  
  
He drops his bag on the couch and encourages Taekwoon to do the same thing. It's not a big studio or is it a luxurious, but who is Taekwoon to complain when it's the closest to his new workplace he could get? Not to mention, the cheap rent as compared to other studios in Gangnam.  
  
It's a duplex with the front-load dishwasher pushed to the wall beside the kitchen counters and the cooking range on the other side as furniture greet the moment you step in. Taekwoon takes note of the spices available and mentally reminds himself to go grocery-shopping as soon as he officially moves in. There's a huge brightly-colored carpet in the middle of the living room and a huge bookshelf filled with dozens and dozens of mangas. Taekwoon peers through it. Of course, there would be One Piece.  
  
"You better make sure they stay in their pristine condition till I come back," Jaehwan shouts from the stairs going to the second floor of the duplex. Taekwoon merely makes a face before he continues to check the entire house out. Above the bookshelf is a flat screen so huge Taekwoon can't wait to watch Game of Thrones on it. There's a wooden chair and a long desk filled with notes, a lamp and a Bluetooth speaker by the window. On the other side of the living room is a couch so small he thinks it can only fit two people.  
  
Taekwoon sees Jaehwan crouched down on the floor with his head beneath the bedframe the moment he reaches the second floor. "Dude, what are you doing?" The messy white duvet on Jaehwan's bed looks comfortable as well as the white cabinets lined up by the wall. "Trying to get a pair of shoes that are perfect for my outfit." It's a bit muffled, but Taekwoon hears it anyway. And he dramatically rolls his eyes.  
  
"What's wrong with the ones you’re wearing now?"  
  
"They don't look as nice as this pair."  
  
Jaehwan pulls himself off the floor, dragging a box with him. He opens it and grins at Taekwoon.  
  
"Dude, they're just a pair of rubber shoes."  
  
"Oh cousin, of course you wouldn't know anything about fashion." Jaehwan eyes Taekwoon up and down, judging his entire outfit, before he pats him on the shoulder and makes his way downstairs. The latter scoffs and looks at his self in the mirror. Bonnet, comfortable grey hoodie, dark blue sweatpants and his trusty rubber shoes. Nothing wrong with that, right? After all, he's just checking out his cousin's apartment; it's not like he's going on a date or anything.  
  
  
  


\-----

  
  
  
"Always make sure to pay the rent on time. Mr. Park can be such a handful when it comes to payments." Jaehwan takes a pad paper and pen idling by the desk and jots down a few numbers.  
  
"Here." He pulls the paper and gives it to Taekwoon. Taekwoon examines it with his eyebrows scrunched together. "Direct lines of the most important establishments in the vicinity." Laundromat, pizza delivery, bakery, DVD rentals. He side-eyes Jaehwan who only smirks at him.  
  
Jaehwan stage-whispers a "The DVD rental has special delivery services for A+ porn.".  
  
This just makes Taekwoon slap him in the head.  
  
  
  


\-----

  
  
  
"You need to feed me." Jaehwan pouts at Taekwoon as soon as they're waiting for the elevator to reach their floor. Taekwoon looks so normal beside Jaehwan. With round sunglasses, a signature handbag and a suit, Jaehwan looks like he's ready to go to Seoul Fashion Week instead of a simple lunch at some family restaurant. Taekwoon rubs his neck and bites his lower lip; his cousin has always made him feel inferior in one way or another. (Not that he'd say that out loud, of course.) Jaehwan mentions the yummy dak galbi place down the block where the ahjumma always gives him more servings because he's a regular.  
  
"She'd absolutely love you. She's a sucker for weirdos."  
  
Taekwoon punches Jaehwan on the shoulders before he could even stop himself.  
  
"We can order dak galbi then drink beer at the nearby park to catch up, what'd you say?" Jaehwan is so obviously excited for the company that Taekwoon doesn't have the heart to deny him otherwise.  
  
"There's this really cute bartender at..."  
  
"Hey Jaehwan!"  
  
Taekwoon turns just in time to see a beautiful male walk towards his cousin. A wide grin decorates his face as it reaches his eyes. Taekwoon watches as Jaehwan's face lights up at the sight of the man and wonders what their relationship is. The man's black hair looks soft beneath the fluorescent lights of the apartment hallway and so does his caramel skin with his all white ensemble. Up close, he observes how the man is smaller than him and his cousin and how the man hugs Jaehwan so casually. Wait, is he Jaehwan's boyfriend?  
  
"Hakyeon! Good to see you here at this time of day." Jaehwan looks at his watch - 9PM. He snickers and wiggles his eyebrows at Hakyeon. "Isn't business good at this time of day?" The latter visibly rolls his eyes at Jaehwan as he slaps him on the nape. "Oh shush it. I got a day off today." He raises both hands to show Jaehwan a large pizza box and a plastic full of cold beers.  
  
"I see you got your dinner covered, huh?" Jaehwan muses. And as if he only remembers his dear old cousin beside him. "By the way, this is my cousin, Taekwoon, he'll be replacing me as your neighbor." Jaehwan pulls Taekwoon in front of him. Taekwoon gives a shy smile to Hakyeon and tries to introduce himself, but ends up whispering it.  _At least he's not Jaehwan's boyfriend._  
  
"As you can see, he's not as awesome as me." Jaehwan stage-whispers to which Hakyeon responds with a cackle and Taekwoon responds with a shrug. Hakyeon releases a laugh so intoxicating Taekwoon can feel his insides swirl.  
  
Hakyeon puts the pizza box and the plastic bag on his right hand so he can offer his left hand to Taekwoon. With a genuine smile, he greets Taekwoon.  
  
"I don't know how you manage to handle your obnoxious cousin, but congrats for living through it."  
  
"Yeah, you'd get used to it." Taekwoon finds himself murmuring back.  
  
This sends Hakyeon to a laughing fit, body curling and laughter echoing in the otherwise empty corridor.  
  
"What? So you guys are best friends now?" Jaehwan feigns hurt as he puts a hand over his chest and glares at Taekwoon and Hakyeon. "You-" He points at Hakyeon. "Don't you dare corrupt my cousin's virgin mind!"  
  
"I'm older than you, Jaehwan." Taekwoon rolls his eyes at his cousin and gives a fleeting smile to Hakyeon when he catches the latter smile at him.  
  
The elevator dings loudly and all three of them glances as it opens. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Taekwoon." Hakyeon bows and Taekwoon does the same.  
  
  
  


\-----

  
  
  
Later that night when Jaehwan is already drunk as fuck, Taekwoon broods over the idea of accidentally meeting Hakyeon in the corridor of his new home on a daily basis. Of engaging Hakyeon with small talks and shy smiles.  
  
Jung Taekwoon can't help smiling to himself at the thought of meeting Hakyeon again.  
  
"HEY! STOP SMILING TO YOURSELF AND DRINK WITH ME!"  
  
  
  


\------

  
  
  
It's the first weekend since Taekwoon officially moved to Jaehwan's apartment. He absentmindedly turns on the light as he removes his shoes by the entrance. He sighs as he puts his coat on the rack and his messenger bag on the sofa. It's only his first week at his new job and he's already working on a Saturday. The hydroelectric project with the Vea Group has proven to be a hard one and almost everyone on the team has to work double time just to prepare everything before the actual start of the project. Just thinking about it makes Taekwoon's brain hurt.  
  
But so does seeing the mess in his kitchen. He combs his fingers through his jet black hair as he looks at the mess in his apartment. He left in such a rush this morning; he forgot to clean the dishes. He sighs in exasperation, thick lips pouting and prominent nose crinkling.  
  
Adulthood sucks.  
  
Taekwoon loosens his tie and rolls up his sleeves, ready to fix the mess in the kitchen and in the rest of the studio. Thankfully, it's not that huge and there aren't a lot of mess. He finishes in no time and plops on the sofa to take a breather. He's too tired to cook dinner, yet too hungry to skip it. He looks around and sees the paper Jaehwan wrote on.  
  
It won't hurt to try, right?  
  
He scans through it and immediately spots the  _fucking yummy pizza_  number scribbled. Jaehwan's handwriting is an absolute hieroglyphic. Taekwoon dials the number with thoughts of cheese pizza, garlic parmesan chicken wings, and beer.  
  
Cue: A moan and sultry jazz music in the background.  
  
"Hello! You've called Moans Express where we pleasure without touch. This is N, how may I help you?"  
  
Well, Taekwoon isn't really expecting that.  
  
"Uh...I think I got the wrong number." Taekwoon whispers to the receiver. He feels his cheeks flush and his fingers tremble. Remind him to kick Jaehwan in the nuts the moment they meet again.  
  
“Oh, a lost soul, eh?” N says. There's no mockery on N's voice, but there's amusement. Probably at how a person could even put himself in a sticky situation. “Well, since you’re here already, why not let me pleasure you?”  
  
Taekwoon should really know than to respond to this. He can just drop the call and buy instant noodles at the nearby GS25 for dinner. He can just-  
  
“I really don’t know how you can pleasure me…”  
  
“Well, tell you what. I can give you five minutes of pleasure for free, then you decide if you think I can pleasure you or not.”  
  
Taekwoon should really drop the call now before he leads himself to a very complicated situation. It's still early; he can still walk to the dak galbi place down the block and try his luck with the ahjumma for extra servings. He’s sure he can get his meal on the house with just a few smiles. He really should-  
  
“Okay.”  
  
The reply is short, but Taekwoon can feel his heartbeat rush in excitement. He’s heard of phone sex operators from Wonshik before, but has never been particularly interested about it. Sure he hasn’t been laid in months, but that’s his prerogative and not like nobody wants him.  
  
"So what are you wearing right now?" N’s voice is breathy against the speaker and Taekwoon has to remind himself that this guy is just playing with him. He makes himself comfortable on the sofa, leaning his head against the headboard.  
  
"Suit. Just got home from work."  
  
"Oh, so you're a salaryman, huh? Must be tough." Taekwoon wants to slap himself in the face. Why did he say something so personal? For all he knows, N could be a serial killer pretending to be a phone sex operator.  
  
"What'd you say I help you loosen those nerves?"  
  
"Hmmm."  
  
"I'm almost wearing nothing, by the way. Sitting on the edge of my sofa with just my underwear on, palming my cock through my clothes."  
  
Just the image of a man sitting almost naked on the edge of their sofa with their cock straining against the fabric of their briefs has Taekwoon’s cock twitching. Frustrated, he unbuckles his belt and pulls his trousers down. His cock aches inside his briefs and just the idea of a man moaning for him, despite staged and through phone, has him wanting more.  
  
“Tell me, what do you like more? Do you want me to fuck you open or do you want to fuck me open?" Taekwoon breath hitches. The rawness of N's words has him palming his own arousal. It has been so long since he last touched himself; just the feel of his fingers on his cock feels nice.  
  
"You're touching yourself, huh?" N moans at the speaker. Taekwoon responds with an appreciative hum as he slides a finger on the slit. He smothers his cock with pre-come and slowly pumps himself, easing into the sensation building up inside him. "Can't wait to fuck me raw, huh?"  
  
Taekwoon bites his lower lip. Just the idea of fucking a person again sends shiver down his spine. He closes his eyes and pumps himself faster. On the other end of the line, Taekwoon hears N elicit harsh moans himself. "Imagine fucking me in your office with everyone to see." His voice is ragged against the speaker and if only Taekwoon know better, he'd think N is enjoying this as well. "Bend me over on your table and claim me."  
  
And that's it. Taekwoon snaps and pumps himself fast till his cum spills on his hand and soils his dress shirt. His breathing is ragged and his body spent. His long limbs hang awkwardly on the edge of the sofa and he reminds himself to buy a new (and bigger) sofa. This small sofa just won't do for him.  
  
"Did you like it?" N's voice brings Taekwoon back to the real problem at hand. Problem being - 1. He just had phone sex with a stranger, 2. He absolutely liked it. 3. This is probably going to put a huge dent on his bank account.  
  
He hums his agreement.  
  
"Well, I'm glad you liked it. I enjoyed it too. You're so responsive..." It's obvious that N wants him to tell his name. A name. Anything. So he settles for the first thing he thinks of. "Leo. My name is Leo."  
  
"Well, thank you Leo. That was fun."  
  
N discusses the process of payment and reminds Taekwoon of his privacy rights as mandated by law. Taekwoon is amused at how such a business adheres to strict policies more than actual huge business conglomerates do. Taekwoon gives him his bank account number and agrees with all the terms and conditions.  
  
"Goodbye Leo." N's voice is a cheerful one this time. "Thank you for choosing Moans Express, where we pleasure without touch."  
  
One final beep and a text message from the bank.  
  
There goes his  _fucking yummy pizza_  for dinner.  
  
  
  


\-----

  
  
  
Jung Taekwoon has experienced a lot of questionable and unbelievable scenarios in his entire twenty-eight years of existence, but none by far can compare to his accidental phone sex experience with an operator.  
  
He blinks and blinks at the ceiling of his bedroom.  
  
The memory of him masturbating over the sultry voice of a stranger and even feeling feels over said person is quite crazy. But so does accidentally calling that number instead of the pizza place. He abruptly assumes a sitting position and grabs his phone by the edge of the bed. Jaehwan has got some explaining to do.  
  
"Oh hey, what's up, my dear cousin?" The voice is cheerful, way too cheerful for somebody who put Taekwoon in a horrifyingly embarrassing situation.  
  
"What's up your face," Taekwoon inhales sharply. "What's that number you gave for the pizza place?! Why is it a-"  
  
"Ooh awesome taste, man. Did you try their four cheese pizza? Seriously. Best. Ever. Ten over ten would recommend!" Jaehwan goes on to rant about the different pizza flavors he's tried in the place. Taekwoon's eyebrows crease; does this mean Jaehwan isn't trolling him on purpose by giving him the wrong number?  
  
"Wait, so you don't know that that number is wrong?"  
  
"What? Why would it be wrong? I've called that number hundreds of time already. I'm sure it's the correct one." Jaehwan confidently says.  
  
Taekwoon blinks again before he bids his cousin farewell and throws his phone on the other side of the bed.  
  
Maybe when he wakes up he'll feel better.  
  
  
  


\-----

  
  
  
Taekwoon doesn't really feel better.  
  
If ever, he only feels worse.  
  
He nurses his cup of coffee in the office pantry, absentmindedly stroking the edge of it with his fingers. Coffee breaks are supposed to be relaxing and they really could be if only Taekwoon would stop peeking through his phone every now and then. He unlocks his screen for the nth time and checks his call logs. Did he really have phone sex with a total stranger? Talking to Jaehwan has made the entire thing just more questionable instead of believable. He really did call the number and their call lasted for twenty minutes or so.  
  
Taekwoon taps the call button and raises his phone to his ear. He can feel his heartbeat race against his chest as he hears the familiar ID of Moans Express in the speaker. He drops the call immediately and groans out loud he renders the glares of his office mates.  
  
His brain tells him to be ashamed, but he really doesn't know if he should be ashamed for attempting to call N again or for coming so fast with just a few rehearsed lines and moans. Especially when he checks the account balance his bank messaged him last night.  
  
  
  


\-----

  
  
  
The supermarket just a few blocks away from Taekwoon's apartment is one of the greatest blessings in disguise ever since he moved houses. It has such wide variety and assortment that Taekwoon feels like he doesn't really need to go elsewhere to get his daily necessities. The bright white lights and the soft electro-pop music calm Taekwoon's nerves. He bobs his head to the beat of the music as he pulls a cart and scans his grocery list- milk, coffee beans; red bean paste and a box of instant noodles are among the long list of food needed at home. He puts the paper inside the safety of his gray hoodie's pocket and collects what he needs.  
  
"Do I want cereal or bread?" Taekwoon mutters to himself. He’s crouched down on the floor as he scrutinizes a loaf of bread and a box of Cheerios. He's in the middle of investigating the calorie contents of each when he hears a faint chuckle behind him. "Why don't you just get both?" He looks behind him to see the familiar beautiful face of Cha Hakyeon.  
  
Taekwoon attempts to stand up, but Hakyeon crouches down beside him instead. The latter grabs the bread and the cereal and scrutinizes it himself. "Maybe you could eat them both at the same time?" Hakyeon suggests. "You know how they say it's okay to eat a lot of breakfast anyway." He smiles widely at Taekwoon which renders the latter speechless.  
  
Taekwoon ends up placing both on his push cart. This is the first time he's seen his neighbour in a while. The first time they met is also the last time. He's almost close to thinking that his neighbour doesn't actually live there at all. But then again, he's so preoccupied with thoughts of his little encounter with the phone sex operator lately anyway.  
  
Hakyeon looks nice even with just simple clothes on. Taekwoon takes in the simple white shirt and sweats Hakyeon's wearing and the tiredness on his face. This is the first time he's so close to Hakyeon; he's practically invading the latter's personal space.  
  
"So how are you, Taekwoon?" Hakyeon manages to ask while he gets a box of cereals himself.  
  
Taekwoon wants to smack himself on the head. Where are his manners?  
  
"I've been good. Having a hard time adjusting to the high life, but I suppose I can manage," Taekwoon rubs the nape of his neck. Hakyeon merely nods before he grins at Taekwoon. "I can imagine that." He chuckles and Taekwoon finds himself wanting to collect every laughter that emits from Hakyeon, no matter how absurd the thought is.  
  
"Well, if you need anything, you do know that I'm just a knock away, right?"  
  
Taekwoon nods and Hakyeon offers another bright smile.  
  
They're in the fruits and vegetables section now, dragging their push carts with them. Taekwoon thinks how it's a good thing there aren't a lot of people grocery-shopping on a Saturday afternoon or else they would have earned the glares of impatient grandparents and snarky mothers alike. He also finds out how Hakyeon is like the tamer version of his talkative cousin.  _Must be why they hit it off so well._  
  
Hakyeon is especially talkative when it comes to food; he talks about different recipes and restaurants he's managed to try ever since he moved to Gangnam. He, too, originally hails from Busan, just like Taekwoon, but he found a decent job at some BPO company in the area so he ended up being neighbours with Jaehwan.  
  
"Sorry, you had to endure all that talk from my cousin." Taekwoon murmurs. Hakyeon shakes his head. He takes a plastic full of raw samgyupsal from the butcher and puts it on his own push cart. "Nah, its fine. Jaehwan is a great guy, despite all his antics."  
  
Their talks turn animated by the time they're at the bathroom section and they debate on which is better: soap or body wash. Taekwoon insists that soaps clean better while Hakyeon argues that body wash can clean the body as well as soap. They insistently murmur to each other while collecting the things on their shopping list. Taekwoon ends up buying a body wash, earning him a triumphant face from Hakyeon. He chuckles to himself.  
  
"You need to smile more. You look handsome when you smile." is what comes out of Hakyeon's mouth. Taekwoon looks at him before he can even hide the growing blush on his face. Something inside Taekwoon bubbles with anticipation and it makes him temporarily forget all the stress at work and the incident with the phone sex operator (not that that's a bad occurrence, but still).  
  
They end up knowing more about each other as soon as they're done grocery shopping. With two large white plastic bags each, they stare at the darkening sky from outside the grocery store. The cirrus clouds dance around each other while people continue on with their lives on land. A loud recorded selling speech plays on the appliance store up front while car tires screech at the beeping sound of traffic lights.  
  
"See you soon?" Hakyeon is the first to ask Taekwoon. Taekwoon focuses on his neighbour’s face and the heavy pull of grocery bags on his hand. He hasn't expected to run to Hakyeon during his grocery-shopping, but it has been such a good time. Taekwoon purses his lips and nods.  
  
The first drop of rain has Taekwoon running for shelter at the nearby bus stop. The downpour is heavy and fast with no warning whatsoever. He could hear the women yelp in the background, probably because their outfit and hair got ruined by the rain. Some kids run around, relishing the feel of rain on their skin, while their parents fuss over them in the side-lines. Taekwoon puts his grocery bags on the floor and tries to peer for Hakyeon's body, but he's already nowhere to be seen.  
  
He inhales and exhales before he grabs his grocery bags again and runs toward his studio.  
  
  
  


\-----

  
  
  
It's already 10 in the evening when Jung Taekwoon manages to leave the company office. The late spring wind blows against his skin and it makes him want to curl against someone, in search of heat that is clearly unavailable right now. He exhales loudly and digs his fingers further to the bottom of slacks pockets.  
  
Almost all of the restaurants are close by now and Taekwoon isn't really in the mood to eat alone in a fancy and noisy restaurant. He directly goes home and gets chicken delivered. He's too tired for pretentious table manners and scrutinizing looks of public eyes. Taekwoon casually drops his bag on the floor as soon as he's home and head to the bathroom for a long and deserving shower. Work is demanding as ever what with the complications on the hydroelectric project - disagreement between two departments, suppliers not meeting deadlines and there's also the problem about limited budget. Taekwoon feels like he's head is about to explode with the back to back meetings and never ending problems thrown to his group. He inhales deeply and turns the shower off. The chicken might arrive soon and he wouldn't want to let the delivery guy wait for him.  
  
  
  


\-----

  
  
  
"Blurgh," Taekwoon burps loudly in the otherwise quiet studio. He's finally dressed comfortably in thin white shirt and sweats, his damp hair poking the nape of his neck with every move he makes. Gone is the chicken he just ordered, with their bones collected on one area of the plate. The television in front of him is playing some rerun of a music show and Taekwoon absent-mindlessly stares at a girl group wiggle their butts and show their perfectly rehearsed smiles to the camera.  
  
At least he feels better now. Taekwoon cleans the utensils he just used and brushes his teeth, but he's too antsy to sleep. Instead, he goes back to the living room and flips through the channels till he finds something remotely entertaining, like predators and preys in the animal kingdom courtesy of the National Geographic Channel.  
  
Nothing seems to feel right. Not even food can calm him down. He'd talk to Hakyeon, but it's already midnight and he's so sure that it's downright rude to suddenly knock on his neighbour’s door to ask if he could listen to him rant about work. More so, when you're not particularly close or anything.  
  
So Taekwoon does the next best (or worst) thing he can think of.  
  
  
The familiar sultry jazz music should send Taekwoon panicking till he drops the call, but he just calmly listens to it as he waits for someone to pick up the call.  
  
"Hello! You've called Moans Express where we pleasure without touch. This is Ken, how may I help you?"  
  
The operator this time has a high pitch voice and a hyperactive demeanour. Taekwoon can imagine him flailing like a little child instead of satisfying a customer with his rehearsed lines. He coughs, fingers curling and covering his mouth.  
  
"I'd like to talk to N..." He murmurs to the receiver. On the other end of the line, Taekwoon can hear Ken's groans. "Why does N always get the customers..." is the last Taekwoon hears from Ken before he hears a beep and the trademark background music of Moans Express again. Soon, after a series of moaning and jazz music, N's chocolatey voice finally greets Taekwoon.  
  
"Hi this is N! You've called Moans Express where we pleasure without touch. How may I help you?"  
  
"Hey...This is Tae-" Taekwoon briefly remembers the name he last gave to N. "Leo. This is Leo."  
  
"Ah Leo, the salary man. Yes, I'm glad to hear from you again." Taekwoon adjusts his position on the sofa, leaning his head on the edge of it. N's voice vaguely reminds him of someone, but he can’t really remember. He dismisses the thought and focuses on N's payment instructions.  
  
"So...what do you want for tonight?" N goes directly to business. Taekwoon scrunches his face. He hasn't really thought of it; he just wanted to talk to N, to anyone really. He just wanted somebody who will listen to him or just be there for him. He just wanted warmth. In any form.  
  
"I'd like you to make me feel good..." Taekwoon murmurs against the speaker. There's a sense of desperation clinging to it and it seems that N understands it. He softly acquiesces on the receiver and asks Taekwoon how he wants to feel good. "In any manner...I just want to feel better..."  
  
"Okay, alright. Well...can you open your legs for me?" Hakyeon instructs and Taekwoon listens. "Good boy. Now let me make you feel nice..." Taekwoon strokes himself languidly, using his thumb to smear pre-come on the entire length. "Imagine me kneeling in front of you as I suck your cock..." Taekwoon tightens his hold on his cock. He releases a moan and hears a moan in response. "You like that, huh? You like it when I lick your entire length?" Taekwoon can hear N’s ragged breathing on the other line and it turns him on so much he bites his lower lip and closes his eyes.  
  
How does N look like? He can imagine him...caramel skin, black straight hair that reaches up to his neck, soft plump lips and thin, long limbs...He can already imagine Hakyeon bobbing his head on his entire cock as he looks up to Taekwoon for encouragement. Wait, when did N become Hakyeon?  
  
"Are you about to come?" N inquires. Taekwoon replies with a grunt and an increase in the speed of his stroke. He can feel his climax building. "I want you to come on my face as I suck you dry." Just the thought of it sends Taekwoon spiralling out of control. He groans loudly and imagines Hakyeon sucking him till he comes. He knows it’s wrong and that he shouldn't really think of it, but his orgasm clouds his thoughts.  
  
Soon, Taekwoon's come spurts on his stomach and the floor. He's left heaving on the sofa, completely spent with sweat trickling down his face and his body. N's voice on the other end of the line sounds tired and if Taekwoon wouldn't know better, he'd think N masturbated with him as well.  
  
"Do you feel better now?" N softly asks.  
  
Taekwoon doesn't really have the heart to say that he feels worse now because of all the dirty thoughts in his mind.  
  
"Yeah...thanks N."  
  
"I'm glad I could be of help." Hakyeon proceeds with the protocol of ending conversations before he bids farewell to Taekwoon.  
  
Taekwoon dreams of his neighbour and his phone sex operator that night.

 

 

\-----

 

 

One could say that Jung Taekwoon is addicted.  
  
A sigh escapes his mouth as he takes the receipt of his account balance from the ATM. The thermal paper looks fragile against his huge and bony fingers, but not as fragile as the status of his account balance.  
  
Talking to N has proven to be a great escape for his mind and soul, but it has also proven to be an expensive one. Sometimes they have phone sex, but sometimes they just talk. About anything. But nothing too personal, unless Taekwoon drunk calls him and spills a thing or two about his worries. He actually thinks it’s amazing how he hasn't said anything to N that could be harmful for him or his hard-earned wealth.  
  
He glares at the six-digit number on the paper and sighs. He'll probably end up poor in no time.  
  
Still. Taekwoon doesn't think he'd stop anytime soon.  
  
  
  


\-----

  
  
  
The next time Taekwoon meets Hakyeon is at the busy Gangnam Station. It's a payday Friday and the station is filled with office workers and students alike who want to spend their hard-earned money on new clothes and gadgets. Taekwoon is just there because he's craving for egg bread and it just so happens that the bakery inside the station serves one of the best egg breads Taekwoon has ever tasted.  
  
"Do I buy a piece or a dozen so I can eat them all while I watch Guardians of the Galaxy later?" Taekwoon murmurs to himself, fore finger on his lips while he glares at the egg bread being made in front of him. He hears a chuckle behind and a "Why don't you buy a dozen and share it with me so we can watch Guardians of the Galaxy together?"  
  
Taekwoon whirls his neck so fast he's amazed he hasn't broken it. Behind him, Hakyeon snickers. He moves beside Taekwoon and grins at him. "Fancy meeting you here, neighbour." It's been almost two weeks since they've met at the supermarket. He hasn't seen Hakyeon in the apartment corridors either, but he blames the crazy work schedules he has. Or Hakyeon's. He doesn't really know.  
  
"Hey Hakyeon," Taekwoon attempts to smile, but it comes as a twisted face which makes Hakyeon giggle. The egg bread seller puts Taekwoon's egg breads on a box and informs him of the cost. Taekwoon grabs for his wallet, but Hakyeon suddenly gives the man money and gets the egg bread box from him.  
  
"No, no. Don't pay for that." Taekwoon attempts to stop Hakyeon. He gives his money to Hakyeon, but the latter stubbornly sways his head and just gives Taekwoon his egg breads. "Now, you owe me dinner."  
  
Is this Hakyeon...flirting with him?  
  
The egg bread seller rolls his eyes and murmurs a 'Kids these days are so blunt with their motives..." before going to the back of his store to check some supplies. Hakyeon grins at Taekwoon, waiting for his response. "O-okay..."  
  
  
  


\-----

  
  
  
Taekwoon has had his fair share of dates before.  
  
It's not like he's just all work and food.  
  
He likes people too.  
  
Sometimes.  
  
Rarely.  
  
But he does.  
  
There was that one stint with Do Kyungsoo, his old college roommate. They hit it off quite well, both introverts with a penchant on hitting people when irritated. It took an accidental drunk kiss for them to get together and another drunken scenario to break up. His old officemate, Lee Hongbin, once invited him for a date too. They went to an amusement park. Taekwoon ended up eating different snacks while he waited for Hongbin to finish riding his petty, childish rides.  
  
You could clearly see what Taekwoon's priorities are.  
  
But this date with Hakyeon is different. He's caught off guard in a situation of push and pull with a very beautiful man who reminds him of his phone sex operator.  
  
They enter the elevator and Hakyeon presses the button for the 7th floor before he takes his position on the far corner of the elevator. It's awkward how they don't talk. Taekwoon's grip on his box of egg bread box is tight. He's never been one to adjust quickly to his surroundings. That and the fact that he thinks of N whenever he sees Hakyeon.  
  
"This restaurant serves great Italian food!" Hakyeon exclaims as the elevator door opens and he leads the way to it.  
  
Giulia is a totally different world from the cold contemporary designs of Seoul corporate buildings. Soft French music hums as soon as the two enter the restaurant. The flooring is a combination of wooden floorboards and talavera tiles. Bronze pyramid lamps filled with luminous lights hang from the ceiling as a main centrepiece for the entire place. Wooden chairs of different shapes and designs compliment the oak dining tables and the pieces of papers beneath the tempered glass on top of it.  
  
Hakyeon watches as Taekwoon reads through the different papers placed there by the customers. It has always been a custom in Giulia - they'll give you a paper and you can write quotes or anything there and push it beneath the tampered glass of the table.  
  
"Cute, isn't it?" Hakyeon inquires. "I told the owner about the idea once and it somehow clicked with his customers.” Does that mean that Hakyeon knows who the owner of Giulia is? Before Taekwoon could even get an answer, a pale man dressed in a suit comes to their area. There aren't a lot of customers tonight, probably a couple or two, but Taekwoon blames the time. Who in their right mind would eat dinner when it's already nearing midnight?  
  
"Hey Hakyeon! Long time no see!" The man claps hands with Hakyeon, an equally blinding grin plastered on his face. Taekwoon watches as his neighbour and the man hug each other; his blood boils. It's like he's seeing N hug someone in front of him and it's annoying to watch.  
  
"Junmyeon, I was around the area so I decided to eat here." He beams at the owner. Junmyeon nods and glances at Taekwoon. "I see you have a date..." Taekwoon considers this as the signal to introduce himself. He tries to say it as confidently as possible, but it comes out as a shout, rendering the reddening of his cheeks in no time.  
  
Hakyeon merely smiles and grabs his hand, squeezing it for assurance. "Taekwoon here is a little bit shy, but he's cool once you get to know him." Junmyeon nods again and tells them to be comfortable in his restaurant and just call him when they need something before he slips back to the kitchen to check if his chef did something bad again.  
  
"Junmyeon's my best friend since college," Hakyeon offers as an explanation before Taekwoon could even ask. "He's always wanted to own a restaurant." Taekwoon just nods and continues to take in the environment of the place. It must be nice to fulfil a lifelong dream.  
  
"So...I hope you like carbonara?" Hakyeon asks Taekwoon while he browses through the menu. "Junmyeon makes wicked carbonara." Taekwoon looks up and sees the beaming face of Hakyeon. Does N look like that when he boasts of someone? Does his eyes also sparkle when he say something he's very proud of? Taekwoon blushes and returns to examining the different dishes in the menu.  
  
  
  


\-----

  
  
  
They end up ordering lasagna and carbonara.  
  
Taekwoon looks at the nice plating of carbonara laid out in front of him before he switches his view on the huge plate of lasagna placed on Hakyeon's side of the table. He murmurs a 'Thanks' to the service crew before he wolfs down the carbonara, somehow forgetting his table manners in his haste to eat something. The last time he's ate something is two hours ago and anyone who knows him would understand that two hours of not eating is a huge deal for Jung Taekwoon already.  
  
It's true what Hakyeon said. Junmyeon does make the best carbonara. He is not a huge fan of Italian food, mainly because of the lack of carbohydrates in the form of rice in the menu, but this carbonara is definitely going to be part of his Favourite Food list.  
  
Meanwhile, on the other side of the table, Taekwoon catches a glimpse of his neighbour staring bemusedly at him, eyes crinkling while his hand cradles his head. "Why?" He asks in between spoonful of pasta. Hakyeon shakes his head and just smiles at Taekwoon. "Nothing, it's nice seeing you eat." He grabs his cutlery and carefully slices his lasagna.  
  
They fall into an awkward silence. Taekwoon has never been good with social conversations. The soft French music and murmured conversations of the other guests fill their ears as they eat their food in silence. Taekwoon can't even look at Hakyeon; he thinks of N whenever Hakyeon does something.  
  
The way he eats his food. The way he sits. The way his bangs fall to his face whenever he leans ever so slightly. The way he glances at everyone and everything in the restaurant.  
  
Taekwoon takes it all in and imagines N doing all of them.  
  
It's such a rude thing to do to Hakyeon who has nothing, but good intentions for him. Taekwoon isn't stupid; he knows what Hakyeon wants, yet he's taking advantage of it so he can relish on personifying his favourite phone sex operator in the form of Hakyeon.  
  
"What are you thinking?" Hakyeon's question brings Taekwoon back to reality. He blinks once to see Hakyeon clearly and he blinks twice to see Hakyeon raise his hand and wipe something on his face with a tissue. "There's sauce around your mouth," Hakyeon explains. Taekwoon blushes and tries to hide his face with his hands, but Hakyeon quickly deflect it.  
  
"I'm sorry, but do I embarrass you?"  
  
That's not Taekwoon's intention. Not at all. He's just extremely shy with people he really likes. Also, not to mention the fact that he feels extremely bad for thinking of N when he's with Hakyeon.  
  
"No. No. Not at all. It's just that I wasn't planning on eating with anyone right now and I wasn't especially expecting to bump into you and then suddenly eat dinner with you. I mean considering how you're my neighbour and you're really pretty and beautiful and just what was I saying?" Taekwoon groans out loud the minute he realizes he's been mumbling out loud again. He really needs to stop shaming himself in public.  
  
Hakyeon giggles. "Well, thank you for thinking I'm pretty and beautiful, but isn't that one and the same adjectives?"  
  
Taekwoon bites his lower lip. Did he really say that out loud?  
  
"Bury me alive so I can stop shaming myself." He murmurs to himself as he hides on the palms of his hand. His ears are beet red by now, as well as his neck and his cheeks.  
  
"I'd rather keep you than bury you."  
  
Hakyeon is done eating by now. He wipes his mouth with a napkin and carefully puts it beside his plate. He beams at Taekwoon and the receiver has half the heart to hide his face again.  
  
"You know Jaehwan mentioned that you're shy, but I didn't know that you're this awfully shy."  
  
"I will really slice that guy's tongue." Taekwoon murmurs to himself, but Hakyeon hears it anyway. The latter laughs so boisterously the other guests glare at the pair before they continue with their dinner. Taekwoon bows to the others and forces Hakyeon to do so as well.  
  
They talk about anything and everything after that little endeavour. Once the dinner plates are replaced by small bowls of green tea ice cream, their conversations have roamed around the topic of personal lives.  
  
"Jaehwan and I used to go clubbing every weekend," Hakyeon shares. He takes a spoon full of ice cream and groans when the sticky sweetness melts in his mouth. "It was so much fun, till we woke up with a painful migraine the next morning."  
  
Taekwoon knows how much Jaehwan likes to go clubbing, but he has a hard time imagining Hakyeon as a clubbing type of person. He imagines N dancing; swaying his hips to the rhythm of EDM music while a stranger tries to grind his hips with his. Taekwoon's eyebrows furrow, just the thought itself is quick to instil anger in him.  
  
"There was that one time when Jaehwan got so drunk he started a conversation with a lamp post." Hakyeon laughs to himself. "Just imagine the horror on the ahjumma's faces when a grown man started talking loudly about condoms and sex to a lamp post."  
  
Taekwoon tuts; it's like his cousin to be talkative even when drunk. He shares his crazy endeavours as well. That scenario back in college when Jaehwan pulled him out of class so they can watch a movie together. "That crazy kid made me watch Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire six times!" Taekwoon raises his six fingers to reiterate his point. "Six fucking times and he still wanted to go for four more times!"  
  
Hakyeon giggles at that. They continue on their animated conversation about random things for the rest of the night. Taekwoon feels his heart flutter because being with Hakyeon right now is strangely calming. Hakyeon reminds him of N, every single gesture and action reminds him of N and as much as he tries to stop comparing Hakyeon with N; he just can't help doing it. Something inside him just immediately thinks of N whenever he sees Hakyeon.  
  
"That would be 36,000 won." Junmyeon informs Taekwoon once they're near the counter section. Taekwoon takes out a 50,000 won bill before he helps Hakyeon with his coat. It's near the end of April, yet the nights are still as chilly as ever. Taekwoon fixes the collar of Hakyeon's coat before he takes his change from Junmyeon.  
  
"I'm glad you like the food I serve, Taekwoon." Junmyeon bows at Taekwoon and the latter does the same. Junmyeon envelops Hakyeon in a tight hug before he pulls back and grins at him. "When I saw Taekwoon, I thought he was the one you were referring to." What are they talking about? "Oh well, I need to meet him soon, okay?" Junmyeon smiles at Taekwoon once he's done talking to his friend. He walks them out of the restaurant and even calls a taxi for them.  
  
"It was nice meeting you, Taekwoon!" Junmyeon says loudly. "Remember Hakyeon! Call me for any updates!"  
  
Somehow in the middle of the ride home, Taekwoon thinks of N holding another man's hand while they walk along the Han river, whispering secret conversations with each other before the man attempts to kiss N in the lips.  
  
He closes his eyes hard and hopes for the best.  
  
  
  


\-----

  
  
  
If Jung Taekwoon's credit card balance could only protest about his recent actions, it would. It would scream in Taekwoon's ears to stop calling Moans Express to request for N so his credit card bills wouldn't be so damn high.  
  
Except, it really can't.  
  
So there Taekwoon is on the comfort of his bed, right hand twirling the credit card while the other hand clutches his phone tight. He's memorized the sultry rhythm of Moans Express ID by now and he instinctively hums it. He's near the bridge of the song when a person picks up the call. It's the same old person before, the hyperactive man who answers the phone with a sing-song voice.  
  
"Thanks for calling Moans Express where we pleasure without touch. This is Ken, how may I help you?"  
  
"Yeah, I'd like to talk to N please." Taekwoon rolls his eyes. He's really not in the mood to talk to anyone right now, except N. He could hear Ken murmur expletives as he shouts N's name, completely forgetting to press the transfer button.  
  
His mind has been preoccupied with silly little thoughts ever since his date with Hakyeon. Particularly, silly little thoughts about N having a boyfriend (or a girlfriend). The thought of it unsettles him immensely. For all he knows, N is a married man who only works as a phone sex operator because of his need for money. Or an old grandpa who just has a seemingly young voice on the phone. Taekwoon shakes his head. This is getting way out of hand. These feels for the phone sex operator needs to be over and done with. If N is in a relationship, then that's the ending for Taekwoon. If he's not, then well...that's a totally different situation.  
  
"Hi, this is N from Moans Express. How may I help you?"  
  
Hearing N's voice comforts Taekwoon. He smiles to himself as he assumes a lying position on the bed. The last time he's talked to N was a few days ago and he has missed him dearly already.  
  
"Hi N, its Leo," He really doesn't know how to begin the conversation. Usually, they'd talk for a few minutes before they move on to the very reason for the call. But now, Taekwoon isn't really calling to satisfy a release. He just wants to put a stop to the nagging thought in his mind.  
  
"Hey Leo! Glad to hear from you again." Taekwoon can imagine N smile through the receiver. He's always imagined N to be the type to be smiley. "How may I help you today?"  
  
And really Taekwoon doesn't know how to start it, but here goes...  
  
"Uhm..." A gulp. "I just need your opinion about something." A breather. "It's about my friend. He likes this guy he met on the internet, but they're just in a platonic relationship. He wants to upgrade their relationship, but he doesn't even know how the guy feels for him, let alone if the guy is in a relationship with somebody else or not."  
  
Well, at least that went quite okay.  
  
"So...uhm...I was wondering if you could help me on what to say to him. He's asking help on what to do with his situation..." Taekwoon has never been a good liar, but he hopes that he's done quite a nice job right now or else he'll probably bury himself six feet down under immediately.  
  
There's a humming sound on the other end of the line. "Well, what about if your friend just asks the person directly?" N takes a few seconds before he continues his speech. "I mean, if he really is sure of his feelings for this person then might as well confess while he's at it? Better confess now and get the answer immediately instead of torturing himself with the what ifs, right?"  
  
Taekwoon is at a loss for words. He did not expect that. He was expecting something along the lines of test the waters and subtle signals, not blunt questions. Clearly, there is still so much to know about N.  
  
"Leo? Leo? Are you still there?" N's worried voice brings Taekwoon back to reality. He nods to the receiver and belated realizes that N can't see him. "Yeah, yeah...I'm still here." Taekwoon can hear Hakyeon's chuckle from the other side of the line. Hakyeon compliments him for his care for his best friend and asks if Taekwoon needs him for anything else.  
  
Taekwoon knows where this is going. Of course, it would always have to lead to that; it's N's job as a phone sex operator to make it lead to that. But then again, no matter if it leads to that or not, as long as Taekwoon's credit card bleeds then all is well and ends well in N's part.  
  
"Uhm...not today. I'll have to speak to my friend ASAP. He really wants help with this..." Not really. Taekwoon just needs time to plan on how he's going to ask a person whom he barely knows despite all the times they've talked over the phone. He just needs to know how he can possibly ask his favourite phone sex operator if he'd like to have him for his boyfriend if he's currently not dating anyone.  
  
Really. It's no big deal.  
  
It's not like he hasn't been thinking of it for a week now.  
  
"Oh okay." Taekwoon thinks he's delusional enough to think that N might have possibly sounded sad at the prospect of their call coming to a close. "It was nice hearing from you again, Leo." Hakyeon attempts for cheerfulness, yet Taekwoon is too preoccupied with thoughts of confessing to him to hear it.  
  
"I'll talk to you soon, N."  
  
"Goodbye Leo."  
  
  
That night Taekwoon dreams of failed attempts on confession over the phone and an extremely high credit card bill. What a nightmare.  
  
  
  


\-----

  
  
  
The first attempt is a disaster.  
  
  
"Hello, you've reached Moans Express where we pleasure without touch. This is N, how may I help you?"  
  
"Yeah...Hey N..." Taekwoon scratches the back of his neck. He's on a coffee break and he’s spending it hiding in the Supplies room with his head down low and his back hunched. "...Leo here. I've been meaning to talk to you."  
  
"Hmm...What about? It's awfully rare for you to call me at this hour. Don't you have work?"  
  
"I have. It's really a mountainous pile of work and my boss is an ass, but that's not the point right now!" His voice escalates a few baritones higher than normal when he realizes he's ranting again. He really needs to put a stop to that.  
  
"Why? Is there something wrong, Leo?" N's voice is obviously laced with concern. Taekwoon looks from left to right for extra safety measures; although he's sure he locked the door.  
  
"No. Nothing's wrong." He takes a breather, ready for the plunge. "I was wondering if you'd like to-"  
  
"HEY! Sanghyuk did you lock the Supplies room again?!" Ok Taecyeon’s, Taekwoon's boss, screaming has Taekwoon dropping the call in an instant before rushing towards the door to open it for his boss.  
  
  
  


\-----

  
  
  
The second attempt is equally horrifying.  
  
  
Taekwoon is at his favourite chicken place. He's been craving for spicy chicken for days now and he can already imagine eating a whole plate full of it while having a Game of Thrones marathon. He deserves it. After all that exhausting overtimes in the office.  
  
"You've reached Moans Express, where we pleasure without touch. This is Ken, how may-"  
  
"I'd like to speak to N."  
  
"Is this Leo?" Ken's voice is obviously irritated. "You know, you're becoming rude lately. I do not approve of this behaviour, young man!" Taekwoon rolls his eyes. How dare this Ken lecture him on being rude? "What's with N anyway? Why do you keep looking for him? Don't you want to try my services?"  
  
Taekwoon murmurs his gratitude to the crew once his chicken is with him.  
  
"Yeah, I'd rather not. Give me N please."  
  
"Rude bastard."  
  
"Whiny grandma."  
  
"I HEARD THAT YOU LITTLE PIECE OF-" Ken's angry voice dies down as N gets hold of the phone. "I'm sorry about that Taekwoon. Ken has been having issues lately..." A loud “I DO NOT HAVE ISSUES. ITS YOUR OBSESSED CUSTOMER THAT HAS.” could be heard in the background. Taekwoon makes a face. He. Is. Not. Obsessed!  
  
"Anyway, I'm so glad to hear from you again, Leo." Taekwoon doesn't know if it’s just his imagination, but the trace of happiness is audible in N's voice and it gives his stomach imaginary butterflies. "You were saying something last time?"  
  
"Ah yeah...I'm sorry about that." The cold night time air brushes through Taekwoon's cheeks as he opens the door of the restaurant. The sound of cars passing by resonates in Taekwoon's ears as he recounts the scenario the last time he called N. He got away with a simple  _“I'm sorry I was sleeping, Sir”_  and a smack in the head, but he’s still stuck in his silly situation with N. He really should know ASAP if N has a boyfriend or not so he can move on.  
  
"Uhm...I was wondering if you'd like to meet in person?" That doesn't sound good. "I mean! Considering how I've been talking to you for months now and I don't know if maybe you want to meet with me. I mean, I'm not really forcing you or anything, but I'd just like to, I don't know, ask you out for coffee or a movie or something? We can even not do that if that will make you uncomfortable. Maybe we could just, I don't know, send emails to each other? I don't even know what I'm saying anymore. Forget what I said. I didn't-"  
  
"Okay."  
  
"-really mean. Wait, what? Okay?"  
  
"Yeah, I'd like to meet with you in person."  
  
Taekwoon can feel his heart palpitate and his cheeks heat up. Did N actually agree to meet up with him? Is he finally going to meet N in real life? He stops in his tracks and takes a breather.  _Okay, Taekwoon. You got this. Calm down. It's not like it's the end of the world._  
  
"Okay. Ah...let's meet in Samcheon-dong tomorrow? You know the White Cafe?" N confirms his attendance and they agree on a time.  
  
"Looking forward to finally meeting you, N."  
  
"Same, Leo. Same."  
  
A resounding "YOU'RE GOING TO REGRET THIS. THAT LEO IS AN UGLY MAN." echoes in the receiver before Taekwoon drops the call.  
  
  
  


\-----

  
  
  
The White Cafe is called the White Cafe for very obvious reasons.  
  
The walls are pristine white and so are the metal tables and sofa chairs. The latest pop music blares from the surround sound audio system as Taekwoon enters the coffee shop. The only pop of colour in the whole shop are the wooden floorings and the bright coffee cups neatly placed on top of each other.  
  
He orders a caramel macchiato and an Americano in advanced, just in case N likes his coffee sweet or bitter. There aren't a lot of people on a Sunday afternoon and he takes his place on the far corner of the coffee shop so he can look at N from a safe vantage point before they actually meet. Not that he's going to run away if N is ugly or anything. Of course not, he's not evil. Taekwoon just wants to see N from afar and control his reaction before they actually meet.  
  
Taekwon twitches on his seat. It hasn't been ten minutes since he sat on the chair, but everything feels itchy. He loosens his silk tie a bit and fixes his navy coat. The suspense is worse than a result for a job interview. What if N doesn't drink coffee? What if N got lost? What if N arrives with a man holding his hand? What if N is in a relationship with that whiny grandma Ken?  
  
So many what ifs and none of them can even prepare Taekwoon for the reality.  
  
His beautiful neighbour enters White Cafe with a bright smile on his face. He has his plain white shirt tucked in his skinny denim pants and his black rubber shoes partnered with polka dots socks. It seems like he's looking for somebody and Taekwoon further sinks back on his chair. Is Hakyeon.....N? Probably not.  
  
There's a fat chance that Hakyeon just so happened to go to White Cafe on the same time schedule Taekwoon and N agreed upon. It's also possible that Hakyeon just so happened to be meeting someone in the same coffee shop. There are so many possibilities in life, you know.  
  
Except.  
  
"Hi! You've reached Moans Express where we pleasure without touch. This is N, how may I help you?"  
  
Taekwoon gapes the moment the familiar line escapes his beautiful neighbour’s face.  
  
He wasn't expecting that. At all.

 

 

\-----

 

 

 

Jung Taekwoon muffles his groan on the palm of his hands. Fleeing a meet-up he arranged himself isn't something he really planned on doing, but realizing that Hakyeon and N is one and the same person has him doing things he doesn't normally do.  
  
It's been a week since his last encounter with N the phone sex operator and Hakyeon the neighbour. Taekwoon makes sure he leaves the house early and arrives home extremely late so he wouldn't meet Hakyeon in the corridor. He hasn't seen even a single trace of his neighbour in the corridor or in the supermarket or anywhere else. He has stopped calling Moans Express as well; in fear that hearing N's voice would make him do things he is too scared to do.  
  
Like confessing.  
  
So Taekwoon spends his weekends holed up inside his apartment, fingers toying around Jaehwan's One Piece manga covers and eyes looking at anywhere, but his phone. Not that this is not how Jung Taekwoon would normally spend his Sunday afternoon, but he really needs to go to the supermarket to stock up his fast-deleting refrigerator. He plops on the sofa and turns on the television. Maybe if he distracts himself well enough, he'd forget about his hunger. He leans his head on the edge of the sofa and blankly stares at some triplets throwing mud at each other. Their father shouts when one of his children accidentally hits his brother with a plastic rake and immediately carries the injured son to his arms to soothe the pain.  
  
Taekwoon chuckles. One of the triplets looks like him when he was a child.  
  
That child would definitely be good-looking when he grows up.  
  
The show distracts Taekwoon alright, but his hunger pains come back the minute the show ends. Taekwoon groans and finally decides that he's going to go out of his house. What are the chances that he's going to meet Hakyeon, right?  
  
He goes upstairs to get some clothes and goes out of his house after five minutes or so. He's so hungry right now he swears he can eat an entire chicken, an order of samgyupsal and even three slices of cake at that. Maybe he can go to the dak galbi place Jaehwan mentioned. He's been living in the area for months now and he hasn't even managed to eat dak galbi at that place. Dak galbi tastes great with beer and...  
  
A redhead accidentally bumps into Taekwoon, sending all of his books to the floor. Taekwoon abruptly stops to look at the man and the fallen books on the floor. He immediately kneels down to help the guy - David Levithan, James Patterson and Nora Roberts, among different other authors. What an eclectic taste.  
  
"I'm sorry about that; I wasn't looking..."  
  
That's a very familiar voice. Taekwoon looks up only to get his breathe stolen from him.  
In front of him is his neighbour slash favourite phone sex operator, with a bright red hair that falls so casually on his forehead and on the nape of his neck. Taekwoon gapes. Hakyeon's beauty is more pronounced with the new hair colour. His thick eyebrows furrow a little bit as he takes in the shock on Taekwoon's face. A smile, that trademark smile of his, slowly creeps on his face. Taekwoon takes in the breathy chuckle of his neighbour and feels his heartbeat go erratic.  
  
"Hey Taekwoon! I guess you're shocked with my new hair?" Hakyeon tries to be cheerful, but the sadness and tiredness is obvious on his face. His smile doesn't reach his eyes and something inside Taekwoon aches. Except for the new hair colour, Hakyeon looks as listless as ever. His cheekbones are more prominent and his posture more lanky.  
  
"Uhm...why did you change it?"  
  
Hakyeon purses his lips. "I change my hair colour when I'm sad..." He quietly explains. The light that permeates through the glass entrance doors of their apartment gives off a good allure to Hakyeon's face and Taekwoon feels his breath hitch against his chest.  
  
Hakyeon decides to change the topic when he doesn't hear a reply from Taekwoon, considering it the end of their conversation. "Oh well, I shouldn't be keeping you. It seems like you're going somewhere." He arranges his hold on the books and offers one last bow to Taekwoon before going to his room.  
  
Except Taekwoon blocks him and takes his book from him before he grabs him by the wrist and drags him out of the apartment. "Taekwoon, what- wait! These books are expensive! Don't ruin them!" Taekwoon continues to drag him till they're at the built-in garden of the apartment. Taekwoon places the books on the empty bench and forces Hakyeon to sit down. The garden is awfully quiet for a Sunday afternoon and he blames the tempting cherry blossoms just on the other side of the street. Of course, people would be more interested in that than cactuses and roses.  
  
"What's up, Taekwoon?" Hakyeon's eyebrows furrow against each other. Did he do something wrong to Taekwoon? He hasn't seen the guy for a week; what could he have possibly done to make Taekwoon mad? Taekwoon continues to glare at him (or stare at him? Hakyeon has always had a hard time deciphering.)  
  
Taekwoon inhales deeply. It's now or never.  
  
"Look..." He murmurs. "I'm really sorry Hakyeon. I've been lying to you all this time, but in my defence we both have secrets anyway."  
  
"What? Why are you sorry? What do you mean you've been lying? I don't understand you, Taekwoon."  
  
Taekwoon grabs his phone and dials the number that he has ingrained on his brain by now. The familiar ID plays in the receiver and Hakyeon's phone rings at the same time. Hakyeon reluctantly looks at Taekwoon and on his phone, as if torn whether he should accept the call or not. Except when he's about to accept the call somebody answers Taekwoon's line.  
  
"Yeah, sure Ken. I'd like to talk to N please." He curtly answers.  
  
He catches the shocked look on Hakyeon's face as he hears Taekwoon say his stage name.  
  
How?  
  
"Just connect me to N, whiny grandma."  
  
"N's not here, you bratty ass!" Hakyeon could hear Ken's shrill voice on the other end of the line before Taekwoon immediately cuts it without warning. Taekwoon stares at Hakyeon as if wondering if Hakyeon finally understands what he's implying.  
  
"Since when..." Hakyeon ponders the first time Leo called to Moans Express. It just so happened he was the one who answered it and not Ken. Leo seemed so shy back then that he thought he wouldn't dare call again. So when he called again, N was so sure he'd have to take care of Leo in the most possible way he could think of. He didn't really think Leo would call again. He didn't seem to be the type to resort to phone sex operators, but so is Hakyeon to resort to such a job.  
  
Hakyeon has never imagined Taekwoon to be Leo though.  
  
"Remember last week? When I, I mean Leo, invited you to meet up?" Leo bites his lower lip this time. "I was already there when you arrived and I kinda panicked when I realized that N and you are one and the same person..." His cheeks turn as red as a tomato and Hakyeon literally gapes.  
  
All those late night calls, shamelessly satisfying Leo with his sensual acting...  
  
Hakyeon buries his face on his hands and groans. This is the first time he's met one of his customers in real life and it isn't really helping that it's Leo aka the only customer he'd like to have for the rest of his life and Taekwoon the cutest neighbour he has the hots for.  
  
He wonders what Taekwoon must think of him now. Taekwoon probably thinks he's such a slut now. He sighs and forces himself to look at Taekwoon in the eyes.  
  
"I'd understand if you'd want me to go away now, Taekwoon..." He starts. Who'd understand a phone sex operator's situation anyway? Let alone a phone sex operator who needs extra income because the salary as a BPO isn't enough to pay all the loans his gambling father drowned his family in. "I really didn't know that you and Leo are the same person. I was just-"  
  
Whatever Hakyeon plans on saying drowns on Taekwoon's lips as he seals it on Hakyeon's soft ones, closing the gap between them. Hakyeon's eyes enlarge at the sudden moisture on his lips. Taekwoon presses his lips further as he closes his eyes and angles his face, forcing his tongue in Hakyeon's mouth. Hakyeon closes his eyes and lets everything go.  
  
To hell with the consequences.  
  
Hakyeon wraps his hands on Taekwoon's waist as he pulls him further toward him. The sound of leaves rustling in the background as the wind blows toward them does nothing to distract them. Taekwoon tastes like strawberry and a future full of hope. Hakyeon smiles to himself - how lucky is the person who'd be with Taekwoon for the rest of his life. Taekwoon reluctantly breaks the kiss, but not before leaving one final peck on Hakyeon's lips. His forehead lies on Hakyeon's as he sighs deeply with eyes closed.  
  
"I liked you since the first time I met you." Taekwoon whispers on Hakyeon's ears and it's not really what the latter is expecting at all. He pushes Taekwoon a bit and stares at his eyes, searching for something there. "I don't care if you're N or Hakyeon, either way I like you. I might have been confused for a bit because I like N and I like Hakyeon too, but now I understand why..."  
  
Taekwoon entwines his fingers with Hakyeon, completely scared of how his neighbour would react to his abruptness. He exhales loudly and closes his eyes. It's now or never.  
  
"Would you like to go out with me?"  
  
"Well, it depends."  
  
Taekwoon opens his eyes just in time to see Hakyeon's trademark smile decorate his face. Hakyeon's the one who lands a kiss on his lips this time.  
  
"Are you asking me as N or as Hakyeon?" He hugs Taekwoon tightly before pecking him again in the cheeks. "Of course I'd say yes, you giant fluffball."  
  
  
  
\-----  
  
  
  
Lee Jaehwan heaves the last of his luggage in front of his old apartment, trying to catch a breather from bringing his heavy luggage through four flights of stairs. The apartment elevator just has to malfunction on the very day he decides to pay a surprise visit on his cousin. It's been nine months since he's left Seoul for a work in Japan. It has been a very eventful nine months, but really he misses all his One Piece mangas already and also his favourite pillow.  
  
He punches his old code on the security pad and smiles when the door opens. Expect Taekwoon to be so lazy as to change the passcode. He hauls his luggage inside the apartment, uncaring of how he handles such a precious thing.  
  
It's only 8 in the morning; Taekwoon should probably be sleeping now. He snickers to himself and tiptoes his way upstairs. He can already imagine the shock on his cousin's face when he shows his beautiful self. Taekwoon would probably scream in shock-  
  
"HOLY FUCK, I DIDN'T HAVE TO SEE THAT."  
  
Jaehwan whirls so fast he almost fell from the stairs if he didn't grip on the ledge so fast.  
  
Behind him, on the bed, Taekwoon and Hakyeon are naked and sweaty, with their limbs tangled with each other. Taekwoon breathes against Hakyeon's neck, clearly satiated, while Hakyeon's eyes enlarge as he registers Jaehwan's presence in the room. He stubbornly pats Taekwoon’s back in an attempt to salvage the remaining pride he has.  
  
"Oh cousin, have I told you Hakyeon and I got together?" Taekwoon groggily asks Jaehwan once Hakyeon has successfully put a shirt on him and his boyfriend.  
  
"I can see that now."  
  
  
  
\-----  
  
  
  
Lee Jaehwan is bored.  
  
It's a bright Saturday afternoon and he's spending it alone on his old apartment because his cousin and best friend decided to coop themselves on Hakyeon's flat (for obvious reasons). He's read and reread all of his One Piece mangas already and the shows on the television aren't really interesting.  
  
Jaehwan hears his tummy gurgle. He sighs and sees the old note he left Taekwoon before.  
  
Pizza sounds like a great decision, huh?  
  
A ring and another ring.  
  
"Hello! You've called Moans Express where we pleasure without touch. This is Ken, how may I help you?”  
  
  
  
  
  
-

 

 


End file.
